Ullal beach turns into garbage dump

Mangaluru

Ullal Beach in Dakshina Kannada, a well-known tourist destination, is facing serious neglect due to poor waste management by the Ullal City Municipal Council. Locals say tourists who come to enjoy the beach are now forced to cover their noses due to the unbearable stench near the entrance. The waste is dumped right beside the main road, troubling nearby residents who say it's hard to even step out of their homes.

BK Imthiyaz, DYFI District Unit President, blamed the civic body for ruining the beach. “Dogs and other animals drag the plastic waste and scatter it everywhere. Though there is a public toilet nearby, it remains unused because of the smell. There’s even a fear of disease spreading,” he said. He warned, “This chaotic waste facility must be shifted immediately, or we’ll dump the garbage in front of the council office.”

DYFI Ullal Secretary Rizwan Harekala also added that protests will grow stronger if officials continue to ignore public concerns.

However, Ullal City Municipal Council Commissioner Mathadi claimed otherwise. He said, “No waste is disposed near the beach. The location is only a transfer point where collected city waste is loaded onto larger vehicles.” He assured that the administration is actively searching for a suitable site to shift the operations but cited limited land availability as a major challenge. Once a new spot is identified, he promised, the waste transfer activities near the beach will be stopped, helping restore cleanliness to the area.